District Finance and Planning Officer, Khalid Mehmood who was appointed as Returning Officer by Election Commission of Pakistan conducted the election for the seat of district nazim.

The seat fell vacant after Ishfaq Ahmad Khan Meenakhel of PPP relinquished the office in October citing personal reasons.

The district council has 50 members and 43 out of them attended the session to take part in the polling process. Two female members stayed away from the polling while five district councilors of JUI-F have been declared disqualified by Election Commission of Pakistan for violating party’s discipline.

Besides foolproof security arrangements in the district headquarters complex Tajazai, the local police authorities had also deployed policemen around the council’s hall to ensure the conduct of polling smoothly. District Election Commissioner Syed Zahoor Shah, Election Officer Shafiulah Khan, District Naib Nazim Haji Arab Khan and secretary district council Halim Khan were also present on the occasion.

The polling for the office of district nazim was also witnessed by PPP central executive council member and former federal minister Anwar Saifullah Khan, ex-MNA Humayun Saifullah Khan, Raees of Eesakkhel Haji Muhammad Aslam Khan and JUI-F District Chief Maulana Abdul Rahim.

All the 43 present members of the council elected advocate Iqbal Hussain of PPP unopposed to the office of district nazim and affixed their signatures on the result sheet. Former District Nazim Ishfaq Meenakhel also supported Iqbal Hussain.

Later in their separate press talks, the PPP leader Anwar Saifullah Khan, District Nazim-elect Iqbal Hussain, and JUI-F district councilor Engineer Ameer Nawaz welcomed the alliance between PPP and JUI-F for election to the post of district nazim. They said that the alliance would be helpful for bringing sustainable development to the backward district.

Former District Nazim Meenakhel told media men that he was happy to see PPP councilor backed by Saifullah brothers to drive the seat of the district government.

He said that the district was ranked on top in the utilization of uplift funds and education performance across the province during his tenure.

“Despite tough opposition by JUI-F councilors the district government headed by me distributed developmental funds equally in all union councils and spread a net of uplift schemes in all parts of the district”, he claimed.

He also took the credit of launching mega schemes like solar power system in public sector schools, laying out 25-kilometre-long gas pipeline in Lakki city and a power feeder for the urban locality with the support of Saifullah brothers. Through an alliance with Pakistan People’ Party the JUI-F councilors have corroborated the policies and uplift agenda of the district government headed by him,” he added.